Texas A&M Department of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution

The Fluid Mechanics, an ETID team comprised of MMET and MXET students, excelled at the 2026 National Fluid Power Association Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge in Rockford, Illinois. The competition tasks students with designing and constructing a hydraulically powered vehicle that meets safety and performance standards while demonstrating off-road capabilites.

George Wesley, Ulises Arreola, J.P. Perniciaro, Matthew Manginelli, Shanmukha Kotaru and Omar Khalil won third place overall, best design, best use of pneumatics and third in the endurance race. Read the full story: tx.ag/FPVA2026❗

Dr. Eman Hammad, of our electronic systems engineering technology program, and Dr. Jaewon Kim, of the Texas A&M Global Cyber Research Institute, are together driving cutting-edge work in robotic systems that remain trustworthy and functional in harsh environments.

They recently mentored mechatronics students Luis Albos, Sean Chen, Santhosh Chendil and Jack Josephson, who joined the research effort for their senior capstone project, resulting in an award for first place in major at the Texas A&M University College of Engineering Project Showcase.

The students helped implement and validate a system that enables multiple robots to autonomously survey while maintaining navigation, coordination and mission progress as they adapt their behavior to different conditions. The platform applies to critical operations such as search and rescue, defense and security, disaster response, hazardous inspections and remote exploration.

Read all about it: tx.ag/RobustRobots

👍 Whoop for community support of our engineering students!

An ETID capstone team needed a saltwater pool to test their autonomous underwater robot, so Hotel McCoy stepped up to be their improvised engineering lab.

Student engineers Cesar Suarez Jr., Christopher Winsett, Keegan May, Ananya Nagaraju, Brink van Eeden, Azhure Landers and Saylor Sherrodd thank Hotel McCoy for givng them the opportunity to put months of design, programming and problem-solving to the test.

The team proudly presented their project at the Texas A&M University College of Engineering Showcase. Their silent submersible, known as Maroon October, incorporates a magneto-hydrodynamic propulsion system, computer vision and a graphical user interface to aid divers in scouting for invasive fish without harming ecosystems.

Aggieland comes together again to impact the world! 🌎

We give a big thank you to Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam, who is stepping down as director of the Master of Industrial Distribution (MID) program after 13 years. Although transitioning out of the director position, he will continue supporting MID through his leadership of the Global Distribution Experience and mentorship of capstone projects. Additionally, he will resume teaching duties with the undergraduate program.

Dr. Bharani's role in the success of MID, and the overall Industrial Distribution program, cannot be overstated. Among many accomplishments, he ensured the success of the program through the COVID-19 pandemic and kept it thriving as the market was flooded with new online graduate programs. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Bharani’s expertise and commitment that built the momentum we will use to continue driving the program forward.

Join us in thanking Dr. Bharani for his past and future contributions to our students and programs. 👏🏻

Learn more about MID: tx.ag/TAMUmid

🏈 "You stand for what we want this program to stand for," said Coach Mike Elko to Industrial Distribution student and team-elected 12th Man, Nana Boadi-Owusu, as he announced the student-athlete has earned a full scholarship.

"Sometimes you get a chance to reward somebody in your program for doing things the right way," Elko said. "[Nana] has really represented everything we have been about at Texas A&M."

👍 The Industrial Distribution program, ETID department and Texas A&M University College of Engineering are proud of the many ways our students make an impact both in and beyond the classroom. Like Aggie football, our students G.R.I.N.D.

👏 Join us in congratulating Nana on this well-deserved honor!

Hey Ags, if you're smart enough for STEM, savvy enough for sales, and looking for a way to meaningfully differentiate yourself in the job market, we invite you to learn more about our Technical Sales minor: 👉 tx.ag/TechSalesMinor.

Hear what these spring 2026 grads have to say -

“The minor broadened my perspective beyond engineering, helping me approach problems more holistically and communicate effectively across disciplines.” - Pete Rome '26, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology major/Technical Sales minor

“The Technical Sales minor has given me a new skill set applicable to all aspects of my future. Through this program, I had the privilege of studying under professors who taught me that the root of sales is working to find solutions while engaging in communication and critical thinking. Though I am not going into a direct sales role, what I have learned will ultimately make me more successful in reaching my future goals and excelling in my career path." - Caroline Holtman '26, Computer Science major/Technical Sales minor

For more information, reach out to an advisor at [email protected].

Industrial Distribution's Val McNeill and her Arrow Analytics team continue their success, most recently at the Rice Business Plan Competition. Only 42 teams were selected to compete at the event, out of over 550 applicants, and Arrow Analytics placed 7th!

This Aggie start-up, of which Val is the CCO, has developed a patent-pending automated solution to size and count carry-on baggage at gate boarding. Using AI-powered technology and digital twins, it is able to track overhead baggage space within 2 centimeters of accuracy and provide real-time oversized baggage alerts.

Val exemplifies the entrepreneurial, leadership, technical and problem-solving skills developed in our industrial disribution program.

Join us in celebrating Val and Arrow Analytics! 🙌

ETID student Kyle Rex '26 has earned an elite commission as a U.S. Army Cyber Operations Officer, where he will apply his education in mechatronics and embedded systems to defend our nation.

"The cyber branch is one of the smallest and most selective branches in the Army," said Kyle. "I am looking forward to leading soldiers and applying my technical skills in real-world operations that directly contribute to national security."

With a commitment to both technical excellence and service, his path was shaped by hands-on engineering projects, internships, cybersecurity competitions, and leadership roles in the Corps of Cadets and Army ROTC.

Read a full interview at tx.ag/KyleRex

Learn about Mechatronics: tx.ag/TAMUMXET
Learn about Embedded Systems: tx.ag/EmbeddedSystems

The inaugural HAND ERC Dexterous Design Challenge (DDC2026), was recently hosted by ETID. The competition involved 113 participants across 20 teams representing 19 Texas A&M University majors.

“Events like this are essential for engaging students with cutting-edge research, particularly in the field of robotic dexterity,” said Dr. Mohamed Gharib, Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology (MXET) faculty member and HAND ERC co-investigator.

The Human Augmentation via Dexterity Engineering Research Center (HAND ERC), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative, focuses on advancing the development of versatile, dexterous robotic hands to meet a wide range of industry and societal needs.

MXET students, Niamh Coles and Zavier Dollaway, led the development and organization of the competition and event with Dr. Gharib. “I am very proud of my students for the talent and leadership they demonstrated during the development of this competition,” he said.

DDC2026 was sponsored by the NSF ERC and the MXET program, with support from ASME-Tech advisors, Dr. Gharib and Dr. Congrui Grace Jin.

Read more about the HAND ERC: https://hand-erc.org/
Learn more about MXET: https://tx.ag/TAMUMXET

Congratulations to Nazanin Golshanara, an ETID Master of Engineering Technology (MSET) grad student, as her team took top prize in the Student Design Competition at the Subsea Tieback Forum in New Orleans!

Nazanin pitched a system that combines pipe-in-pipe insulation, targeted heating strategies for restart, and chemical injection methods to effectively transport heavy crude oil under deep-sea conditions.

Nazanin expressed her appreciation for the wide-ranging skill set she is developing in the MSET program as she works across different industries and solves real-world problems - "The program is very application-oriented. It focuses on building practical solutions for complex engineering challenges."

Learn more about MSET: tx.ag/MSET